Jack and the Beanstalk, the latest pantomime at Coventry’s Belgrade Theatre, was the most successful in a decade.

Almost 40,000 people saw the show with tickets in such demand they completely sold out in the final week of the run.

As well as the 40,000 people who visited the theatre to see the antics of Jack, Dame Trott and Simple Simon, some of those spending the Christmas period in a hospital, hospice or nursing home were also able to experience the magic of panto by watching an online broadcast of the show.

This year’s panto will be Aladdin with an extra week added to the run to help ensure everyone gets to see the spectacle. It will be performed on the main stage from November 26 through to January 10 2015.